The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-11
PART III.-CHAPTER VII.
A TRAeI-coMEDY IN A CAB.


I'd it good fortune to perceive a cab great way
of, and Dy much shouting and waving of his
arm 20 catch the notice OF the driver. He count
ed it good fortune, for the time was long to him
till he should have done forever with the Lodge:
and the farther he must go to find cab, the
greater the chance that the inevitable discovery
had taken place. and that he should return TO
find the garden full Of angry neighDors- Yet
when the vehicle drew up he sensibly cha
grined to recognize the port-wine cabman of the
night before Here" he could not but reflect,
s'hers is another link in the judicial error"
The driver, the other hand, was pleased to
drop again upon so liberal fare; and as he was
a man-the reader must already have perceived
of easy, not say familiar manners, he
dropped at once into a vein of friendly talk
commenting on the weather, on the sacred sea-
son, which struck him chiefly in the light Of
day of liberal gratuities. the chance which
had reunited him to pleasing customer, and on
the fact that John had been las he was pleased
to call it, visibly ION tbs randan" the night be-
fore.
'.And ye look dreidful bad the day. sir, must
eay that" he continued. There's nothing like
dram for ye-if yen take my advice OF it; and
bein as it's Christmas I'm so saying" he added,
with fatherly SMILE s'but what I would join
yemyseF."
John had listened with sick heart
IN give you q dram when we've got through"
said he, affecting sprightlness which sat on
him most unhandsomely, ''and not drop till
then Business first, and pleasure afterwards
With this promise the jaryey was prevailed
upon to Chamber to his place and drive. with
hideous elaboration. TO the door of the Lodge.
There were no signs, as yet of any public emo
ton: only. two stood not far off in talk. and
their presence, from afar, set Johns
pulse buzzing. He might have spared himself
his fright, for the pair were lost in some dispute
of theological complexion and with heightened
rpper lip and enumerating fingers. pursued the
matter of their difference, and paid no heed to
John
But the cabman proved thorn in the flesh
Nothing would keep him on his perch; he must
chamber down, comment upon the pebble in the
door (which he regarded as an ingenious but IN
safe deyicel help John with the portmanteau.
and enliven matters with flow Of speech. and
especially of questions, which I thus condense:
He'll no be here himself, viii he2 No9 Well,
he's an eccentric mana fair oddity-if ye ken
the expression. Great trouble with his tenants,
they tell me. I've driven the family for years.
drove cab at his fathers waddin'. What'll
your name bel should ken your face. Baig-
rey, ye say7 There are Baigreys about Gilman
ton; yell be of that lot7 Then this'n be
friends portmantie, like2 Why2 Because the
name upon it's Nicholsoni o, if ye're in hurry
that's another job. Waverly Brigl Are ye for
sway2
So the friendly topper prated and questioned
and kept Johns heart in futter. But to this
ALSO as TO other evils under the sun, there came
a period, and the victim of circumstances began
at last to rumble towards the railway terminus
at waverly Bridge During the transit he sat
,ss.ts .raisssaA - in-- khe frosty chill and
nouIdy fotor of his chariot. and glanced out
sidslong on the holiday face of things, the shut
tered shops and the crowds along the pavement.
much as the rider in the Tyburn cart may have
observed the coneourse gathering to his execu-
ton.
At the station his spirits rose again; another
stage of his escape was fortunately ended-he
began to epie blue water. He called q railway
porter and bade him carry the portmanteau to
the cloak room; not that he had any notion of
delay; fight instant flight was his design, no
matter whittier; but he had determined 20 dis
miss the cabman ere he named. even chose,
his destination, thus possibly banking the judi
cal error of another link. This WAS his cunning
aim. and now. with one foot on the roadway and
one still on the coach step, he made haste to put
the thing in progress, and plunged his hand into
his trouser pocket.
There was nothing there.
o. YES; this time he was to blame. He should
have remembered, and when he deserted his
blood stained pantaloons, he should not have de-
serted along with them his purse Make the
most OF his error, and then compare it with the
punishment Conceive his new position. for I
lack words to picture it; conceive him
demned to return to that house. from the very
- y ~ f<o1
more TO expose himself to CAPTURE the very
scene of the misdeed; conceive him linked to the
rnouldy cab and the familiar cabman. John
cursed the csbman silently and then it occurred
10 him that he must stop the Incarceration of his
portmanteau; that, at least. he must keep close
at hand, and he turned to recall the porter.
But bis reflections, brief they had appeared.
must have occupied longer than ne supposed, and
there was the man already returning with the
receipt
Well, that was settled; ne had lost his port
manteau also; for the sxpence with which he
had paid the Murrayfeld toll was one that had
strayed alons into his waistcoat pocket. aud
less he once more successfully achieved the ad-
venture of the house OF crime, his portmanteau
lay in the cloak in eternal pawn. for lack of
penny fee. And then he remembered the porter
who stood suggestively attentive. words of graf
itnde hanging from his lips
John haunted right and left; he found coin
prayed God it was a sovereien-drew it out be-
held halfpenny. and offered it to the porter.
The mans jaw dropped.
tits only alf-penny!' he said, startled out
OF railway deeency.
II know that said john piteously.
And here the porter recovered the dignity Of
man.
.sThank you, sir.' said he and would have re-
turned the base eratuity But John, too,
would none of il; and they struggled, who
must join it but the claimant
.Hoots. Mr.. Baigrey," said he. 'you surely
forget what day it isl'
IT tell you have no changed" cried John.
'.Well." said the driver. land what then? /
xrouid rather rive n man a shiIlin, IN a dav like